During our visit to Utah earlier this month, we discovered the coolest complex loaded with fun things to do for the entire family, whether it be on land, water, or in the air.  This building housed a Flowrider attraction (where you can surf indoors), an indoor rock climbing facility (iRock), and iFly Utah, where you could skydive indoors.  We knew when we were invited to visit*, we would be in for a great time!

We headed to iFly Utah first.  Upon our arrival at the facility, we were greeted by a very friendly and informative person at the front desk who helped us select our packages.  There are many choices to choose from, including duration of time flying, photos, videos, and group rates.  You can even throw a birthday party here, which would be the birthday party to end all birthday parties. I can’t even begin to imagine how cool that would be!

We signed our waivers and were sent into the main portion of the building, where our eyes were immediately drawn to a person literally flying in the center of the chamber.  It was mesmerizing! We were able to observe others who had earlier appointments than we did fly for a few minutes and then we were brought back to an instructional room to learn the ropes for our upcoming flights.  Here we met our instructor.  We learned quickly that he knew what he was doing and would help us get the most out of this experience.  We learned some pointers and hand signals to use, since in the tunnel, you can’t hear much of anything due to the sound of rushing wind. By learning the techniques and hand signals, we would know exactly what to do when our time came to be in the chamber.

Now, when you are inside the chamber, you are only in there for about a minute.  You can purchase packages which allow you to have a practice run and then an additional minute or a little bit more depending on if you purchase extra time.  You can also choose to “fly high” during the last 30 seconds of a run to fly up to the top of the chamber.  If I could recommend one thing, I would recommend to you to “fly high”!  It totally makes the experience one that is on a bucket list! It’s also a great activity to choose for families because kids young and old can participate, as long as they meet the minimum weight restriction.

When your time comes, you line up with a small group of others in your time slot and take turns going in the chamber with an instructor.  Our package had a practice run, so they went in once to get a feel for what it was like, went back out and waited their turn to go back in for the final run.

My kids were naturals, I have to say.  Flying in the air like superheroes! The last 30 seconds the instructor grabbed onto them and they went flying in circles to the top of the chamber, back down, and back up again several times.  It was incredible!  You would think that a minute in the chamber would not feel like much, but it felt so much longer inside.  The entire experience ended up being about an hour and a half for novice flyers.  However, since we learned so much, the next time we go, we would be able to build on our skills and start to work on new ones and tricks.  Each time you go, you can build upon the last visit.  Trust me, you will want to visit again!

The entire experience was an incredible one for our family and one that I can’t recommend enough to yours.  Definitely a must-visit place, a great special gift, or bonding experience as a family.  It was so much fun!  The entire experience was exceptional from walking in the door to how great the instructors were.  We were instantly put at ease and had a fantastic time.  iFly Utah  is located in Ogden, but there are several locations, so find one near you to go have the experience of a lifetime!

 

Once we finished our adventure in the air, we headed back over to iRock next door.  This facility is quite spacious, housing rock climbing walls and a couple of free-standing structures.

We got our harnesses on and proceeded to spend quite some time traversing the rock wall, attempting to reach the top.  There are levels ranging from beginner to expert here, so there really is something for everyone’s skill level.  We had fun learning how to belay, as well as using one of the automatic belay systems.  We successfully reached the summit many times and has a blast doing so.

Rock climbing can be exhausting, using muscles you didn’t realize you had, so a great thing about iRock is that you can keep your wristband and come back in and out of the facility as much as you like during the day.  The price point ($10 for adults, $7.50 for kids under 12) makes this an exceptional deal and a great way to get some energy out, learn new skills, and have some fun with friends and family.

We ran out of time before being able to head to Flowrider, but catching a sneak peek inside, I was bummed we didn’t have the extra time to take that in.  Tons of people were having a great time surfing inside!

So, when in Ogden, Utah, be sure to check out this incredibly fun and entertaining complex and put your fears behind you as you soar to new heights, climb sky-high, and ride the waves.  You will have a fantastic time!

*We were invited to facilitate a feature.  All opinions are my own.